Design of a composite roll bar for the improvement of bus rollover crashworthiness

Abstract

This paper discusses a new carbon–epoxy composite roll bar installed in a bus. It aim of this new roll bar is to satisfy the stiffness and strength requirements and maintain the traditional metallic structural parts reinforced by the composite roll bar. In this study, bus rollover was investigated the implementation of adequate material models for accurate treatment. The benefits of this new material include a lower center of gravity and reduced mass and roll moment of inertia of the vehicle. The performance of the structures with regard to ECE R66 was compared between the initial and composite roll bar bus models. The bus structure reinforced by the composite roll bar was able to secure a substantial margin of the survival zone as well as to meet the requirement specified by ECE R66.